Electrical propelling apparatus.



No. 658,997. Patented Oct. 2, I900. n. FERRET.

ELECTRICAL PROPELLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Shoots-Shoot I.

his Numns PEYERS cu, PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGTON n. c.

No. 658,997. Patented Oct. 2, I900. D. FERRET.

ELECTRICAL PROPELLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.) (lo Mini.) 3 Shoota$heet 2.

No. 658,997. Patented 0cf.'.2, I900.

D. PERRET.

ELECTRICAL PROPELLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

owns PETERS cc. PnoTQumo WASMNGTQN o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID FERRET, or NEUFOHATEL, SWITZERLAND.

ELECTRICAL PROPELLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 658,997, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed June 20, 1900. serial No. 20,942. (No model.)

To all whom it WLQI/y concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID FERRET, manufacturer, of Neufchatel, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Electrical Propelling Apparatus with a Double-Acting Interrupter, of which the following is a specification.

Several trials have already been made to propel a wheel by means of the armature of an electromagnet, especially for the purpose of acting upon or winding up a clockwork. However, the apparatus constructed until now for that purpose have altogether the disadvantage that the most important portion of the mechanism, being that portion of the same where the contact and the interruption of the electrical current takes place, shows a rapid wear and tear, which causes the mechanism to stop afterhaving worked very little time. The present invention consists in a propelling apparatus of a similar kind, in which, however, the deficiencies of the abovementioned ones are removed by means of a double-acting interrupter. This mechanism fulfils the following conditions: First, every function of the electromagnet is executed by an independent portion of the mechanism; second, the circuit is conducted through no movable parts of the apparatus, and, third, the contacts are insured by pressure with a very slight gliding rotation. The first of these conditions being fulfilled, a very easy construction of the different constituent portions of the apparatus is obtained, for as the different parts of the mechanism are working independently one from another their rela tive position may be easily determined with great exactitude, as required. The second of the above-mentioned conditions prevents the mechanism being injured by oxidation of the rotary parts. The third condition prevents the quick wear and tear of the contacts and in consequence every disorder in the reciprocal position of the different parts of the mechanism, which in other apparatus are produced by the perpetual gliding rotation of the contact-points. In the present apparatus this gliding has been exactly measured in such a manner as to cause the contact to take place in more than one point, In consequence but with very little gliding.

the contact is insured without having the Wear and tear effected by a too considerable gliding altering the distance between the different constituent parts of the apparatus.

The accompanying drawings represent one form of execution of the invention by way of example.

Figure 1 shows the mechanism at that moment. where the attraction of the armature and the interruption of the circuit at the second interrupter take place-that is to say, at that moment where the action of the accumulator begins. Fig. 2 shows the mechanism at that moment where the accumulator (in the present example the spring 2) leaves off working, whereas the second interrupter n o is closed and the first one 70 is going to be closed. Fig. 3 indicates the position of the parts in which the two interrupters are closedthat is to say, that position Where the attraction of the armature 0 takes place by the electromagnet cl and Where the charge of the accumulator 6 takes place.

a is a ratchet-wheel fixed upon the axis of any wheel of the mechanism to be rotated for instance, on theaxis of the first wheel of a clockwork, &c.

b is a click pivoted to the armature c of an electromagnet d, said armature being likewise pivoted at w and intended to rotate the wheel a tooth by tooth under the action of a spring 6.

The first interrupter consists of a spring f, fixed to an insulated terminal g, bearing an insulating-nose 7b, acting upon aclick x, which gears into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel a. The spring f carries besides a contact-piece o', intended to be pressed against a contactscrew 70, fixed to the insulated terminal g of the circuit.

The second interrupter is formed by a spring Z, fixed to an insulated terminal 0, bearing an insulated projection m, which bears upon the click I) by means of the spring I, the contactpiece or of which is intended to close the circuit of the electromagnet (1 when pressed against the setting-screw o, fixed to an insulated contact 13. The setting-screws 7c and 0 may be fixed either to the insulated terminals or to the respective contact-springs.

q is the battery, the circuit of which is formed in the following manner: wire r, terl the springs fand Z takes place when the same ininal p, contact-pieces n 0, spring I, tm'minal '17, wire s, coil of the elcctromagnet (1, wire l, terminal springf, contact i It, and through the wire tt back to the battery g.

The described mechanism works as follows: The parts being supposed to be in their position shown in Fig. 1, the spring of the accu n1 ulator, having been compressed by means of the armature c being attracted by the electromagnet (Z, presses the click 1) down, as shown by arrow 1, causing the wheel a, to retate as indicated by the arrow 2, and consequently the click .1' to be lifted, whereby the interruption of the contact between iand 7c is produced, as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time the downward movement of the click b exercises a pressure upon the spring Z in the direction of arrow (backward) and results in pressing the contact-pieces it. against the screw 0, the closingof the second interrupter at the moment where the tooth h is almost at the middle of the length of the tooth of the spring-wheel by which the said spring I is supported. As soon as this position is passed the click oct'alls upon the lowest portion of the next tooth of the wheel a, as indicated in Fig. 3, and closes at this very moment the circuit of the electroi'nagnet, both interrupters being likewise closed. Therefore the attraction of the armature begins immediately by the said electromagnet, and the click I) is lifted again into the position as indicated in Fig. 1, the spring e is compressed, and the interrupter a o is opened again. Hereafter the working of the above-described mechanism begins anew.

The terminals 1 g, n, and p are electrically insulated from the metallic mass of the apparatus, and it will be clearly understood from the above description that the electrical circuit of the battery q will not pass either through the armature c or through the click I) or any other movable part of the mechanism.

In case where the described mechanism is to act upon a clockwork the ratchet-wheel a maybe fixed either to the shaft of the center wheel or of any otherof the driving-wheels of the movement. The escapement of the said clockwork may be any system whatever. The mechanism fulfils the first of the conditions mentioned in the beginning, the induction of the magnet being caused by a special device consisting of the spring f, carrying a contact 11 and operating on the click :1 while the releasing of the electromagnet is caused by another device consisting of the spring Z, carrying a contact a and operating on the click I). The second of the said conditionsis fulfilled, the current only passing through the four terminals and through the two springsfand Z without passing through the pivots of any mover or of the armature or clicks 1) and :20. Finally, also, the third condition is fulfilled, as a very small fiexion of are pressed against the contacts o and Ir.

Should the wires and u be connected directly with one another, the apparatus would be able to work without the second contact devicethat is to say, the armature 0, being pushed down by the spring a, would cause the closing of the electromagnet '11. o, and consequently the attraction of the said armature by the electro. However, this attraction would immediately effect a new interruption of the circuit by means of the spring 7, and by that likewise immediately the raising of the armature. The device would then play like an electrical bell-that is to say, a vibrating movement of the armature would be obtained, which would be insufficient to induce the click I) to rotate theratchet-wheel a. The purpose of the combination of the two in terrupters is to prevent these vibrative movemei'its and to permit each attraction of the armature to correspond to the rotation of one tooth of the ratchet-wheel a. In fact, the contact being established in a 0, but interrupted in t 76, Fig. l-that is to say, the circuit being openthe spring 6 continues to operate and to rotate the ratchet-wheel a until the tooth h escapes the tooth of the said wheel, and the moment in which this takes place may be exactly fixed by the shifting of the contact g. The contact isthen only formed in t 7r, whereby the action of the eiectromagnet is obtained. The combination of the two interrupters allows a mechanical action of the spring during that space of time that elapscs between the closing of the circuit in one of the interrupters and in the other one. It is this circumstance which prevents the vibrative movement observed in other similar devices.

Each magnetizing of the electromagnet requires a corresponding action of the motor of such a duration as to enable the ratchetwheel to turn a tooth.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim In electrical propelling apparatus the combination of a ratchet-wheel and of aclick pivoted to the armature of an electromagnet, the said armature being acted upon by an accumulator intended to collect the power obtained from the attraction of the said armature by the electromagnet, with two independent contact devices placed in one and the same circuit, the one of which being intended to cause the inducting of the electromagnet and consisting of two fixed insulated terminals to one of which is fixed a spring f bearing an insulated tooth h operating a click 0c gearing into the said ratchet-wheel, and bearing against a fixed contact-piece 11 the flexion of the spring alone causing a slight gliding at this contact, and the other cont-act device intended to stop the electromagnet, consisting also in two fixed and insulated terminals to One of which is attached a spring In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Z pressing by means of an insulated tooth m myinvention I have signed any name in pres- [O the said click into gear with the said ratchetence of two subscribing Witnesses.

wheel, While the other terminal forms the T 5 fixed contact-piece, against which the flexion ID PERRE l 0f the spring Z alone causes the slight gliding \Vitnesses:

at the contact-point, substantially as and for l JULES OHAPUY,

ARMAND SERRELET.

the purpose specified. 

